Aquatic animals have been employed for many years in biomedical research. Often, these aquatic models have novel aspects that provide the researcher with advantages not achievable with rodents or other animal models. This conference is the fifth in a series that was initiated in 2000 and will bring together top investigators performing research on a number of human diseases and employing aquatic animal models. The program committee has designed a meeting consisting of symposium and platform presentations along with "hands-on" workshops to teach the latest technologies to participants. Increasingly, there are conferences and meetings offered that mostly focus on one animal (usually zebrafish) or one disease. This conference, since its inception, has been unique in providing a breadth of models and applications not found anywhere else. This is primarily the reason that NCRR has supported past conferences in this series. The meeting is to be held September 20-23, 2010 on the campus of Oregon State University. The inspiration for the program came from the National Academy of Sciences commissioned report on "Toxicology Testing in the 21st Century". The meeting will explore how aquatic models can fit this new paradigm. The program will include a number of invited talks by women and new investigators, as well as from under-represented groups. Student and post- doc attendance will be encouraged through travel and presentation awards and reduced registration costs. Papers presented at the meeting will be published in a special issue of Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology or as a book by the Oregon State University Press. The networking and plans for collaborative research made possible by this conference will result in high-quality applications to NCRR, NIA and enrich the portfolio of grants in these and other NIH institutes. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by the applicant): Aquatic animals often make for the best models in the conduct of biomedical research. This conference (the 5th in a series) will bring together scientists from around the world to explore the latest applications of aquatic animals in the study of human diseases.